Psycho-Pirate
As Psycho-Pirate, Hayden first battled the heroes Doctor Fate and Hourman. He was defeated but returned to battle the Spectre and the Justice Society of America. Sometime during his career, Hayden fused all the Medusa Mask into one faceplate. At one point he joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains and took part in a plot to rid the world of both the JSA and the JLA. __TOC__ Background Information In the parallel universe of Earth-Two (Earth-2A in the SuperFriends Universe), after spending years in the state penitentiary, Charley Halstead’s health began to fail. He spent his last years researching emotions, and he eventually discovered the existence of the legendary "Masks of Medusa " and their usage.In Greek Myth, Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. She had snakes for hair, and the power to turn anyone who looked at her to stone. Perseus beheaded Medusa, and placed her head upon his shield because it still retained the power to petrify all who looked upon it. The head was later used as an apotropaic (able to avert evil) mask, a talisman which both killed and redeemed. So, when Halstead shared a prison cell with Roger Hayden, he taught Hayden all he knew about the psychology of emotions (causes and results), and about the enchanted Medusa Masks. Some months after Hayden was released from prison he read in the newspaper about the golden masks, which were uncovered by Kent and Inza Nelson on an archaeological expedition sponsored by Rex Tyler. He decided now was the time to take advantage of what the ‘original’ Psycho-Pirate told him. Hayden is able to steal these masks, and control the emotions expressed on the masks by waiving his hand over his face and changing his facial-expressions. He now has power of the whole Emotional Spectrum and dons a red and black costume decorated with two small images of the Medusa masks – becoming the ‘new’ Psycho-Pirate. With the powers of the ancient masks, Hayden starts a criminal spree in the city, which gets the attention of Doctor Fate, who is on the lookout for the masks. Doctor Fate and Hourman decide to combine forces to confront Psycho Pirate in his own hideout, but they are still affected by the madman's powers. Eventually, Hourman's powers run out, but Doctor Fate finds places a ‘magic mask’ on Halstead to counter the powers of the Psycho Pirate. The masked villain is sent to jail.As revealed in Showcase, #56 (June 1965). The Psycho-Pirate returns to steal a globe which will locate a source of mystic energy that will enable him to remove the magic mask that Doctor Fate used to deny him the use of his powers. Although he is able to find the energy and remove his mask, the Spectre, another former JSAer, aids in subduing him.As revealed in Spectre, #5 (July-August 1968). After a few years of villainy,As revealed in All-Star Comics, #65 and #66 (March-June 1977). Hayden returns to prominence when he insidiously begins influencing prominent Gotham City citizens such as Bruce Wayne and Alan Scott (aka Green Lantern), the former a wealthy businessman and now commissioner of Gotham's police force, the latter the President of television station WXYZ. Initially, Scott is the most affected as he, in his Green Lantern persona, begins exercising his frustrations upon humanity for the failures of his private life, such as the impending bankruptcy of his station. After creating a disturbance at Gotham International Airport, he is subdued by his Justice Society comrades, who assists both Scott and teammate Flash who has also been under Hayden's control. The Society has to next battle a civil war within their membership instigated by Wayne, still under Hayden's control and determined to rid Gotham of all superheroes. Doctor Fate breaks the Psycho Pirate's hold over Wayne's mind and together they defeat the Pirate once again.''All-Star Comics, #68''; ''Justice League of America, #147'', #148 (Oct. - Nov. 1977) and ''#69'' (December, 1977). Roger Hayden, uses his emotion manipulating abilities in an attempt to escape from his prison cell. Jonathan Cheval, as the Monocle, a prisoner himself, helps expedite Hayden's prison escape. Shortly after their escape, they are recruited by the Ultra-Humanite (arch-nemesis of the Earth-Two Superman), the self-appointed leader of the ‘new’ Secret Society of Super-Villains. The Ultra-Humanite, who has the ability to transfer his genius brain into different bodies, is now in the body of a mutated giant ape, recruits villains from both Earth-One and Earth-Two: from Earth-One he recruits Cheetah, Signalman, Floronic Man, and Killer Frost, from Earth-Two he recruits Monocle, Mist, Psycho-Pirate, Rag Doll, and Brainwave. His master plan is to remove ten particular super-heroes of the Justice League and Justice Society from the multiverse, defeating them and hurling them into an interdimensional rift known as limbo (for lack of a better term), thus resetting the cosmic balance.As revealed in Justice League of America, #195 (Oct. 1981). As the battles continue, Psycho-Pirate takes on Hourman in a solo battleA reference back to Roger Hayden’s original battle with the Hourman. This battle is depicted in Showcase, #56 (June, 1965). and the Secret Society of Super-Villains is able to abduct heroes from both Earth-One and Two.As revealed in Justice League of America, #196 (Nov. 1981). When the Earth-One villains (Killer Frost, Floronic Man, Cheetah, and Signalman) learn that their allies had known all along that it would ultimately be Earth-Two whose heroes would disappear and none from Earth-One, they turn against their leader, only to be banished back to Earth-One. Now, the JLA, and the JSA are able to team up to take down the Secret Society of Super-Villains. The Earth-Two villains, Brainwave, the Mist, the Monocle, the Psycho Pirate, the Rag Doll, and the Ultra-Humanite are summoned to the Secret Citadel, in Nepal. Each believes that one of the others has called them together. All deny doing so. In truth, it is the Justice League of America, together with the Justice Society of America, who have brought the Secret Society of Super-Villains together in one place. The heroes are able to reprogram the Ultra-Humanite's transmatter machine and begin to hurl their foes into the transmatter beam.As revealed in Justice League of America, #197 (Dec. 1981). From there, Ultra gains mental contact with his younger self from the 1940s, and the two Ultras are able to pull the Secret Society, including Hayden, back to that era where they confront and are defeated by the All-Star Squadron and the time-lost Infinity Inc.As revealed in All-Star Squadron, #26 (October, 1983). This story continues in All-Star Squadron Annual, Vol. 2 #2 (1983). Powers and Abilities Powers *None Abilities *None Paraphernalia Equipment *Medusa Masks: The Medusa Masks are the source of the Psycho-Pirate's powers. These masks can manipulate the emotions of others, matching them to the appearance the mask takes (e.g. sad face, happy face etc.). Appearances SuperFriends Comic Book: *''Super Friends #7'' and ''Super Friends #8'' references the following cross-universe story: ** ''All-Star Comics, #68'' (October 1977) -- implied only ** Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #147 (October, 1977) -- directly referenced ** Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #148 (November, 1977) -- directly referenced ** ''All-Star Comics, #69'' (November 1977) -- implied only Notes * The first version of Psycho-Pirate, Charles Halstead first appears in All-Star Comics, #23 (Dec. 1944)For more information about that DC comic book, click here. and was created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher. * The second version of Psycho-Pirate, Roger Hayden first appears in Showcase #56 (June 1965) and was created by Fox and Murphy Anderson. *The Pirate gets his name from his attempts to manipulate and "pirate" the emotions of others. External Links *Pyscho-Pirate at the DC Database *Psycho-Pirate at Wikipedia References Category:Villains Category:Earth-2A Category:Natives of Earth-2A Category:Characters Category:DC characters Category:Super Friends comic book characters Category:SuperFriends Comic book